From Dr. James' Teachings​

Would you consider washing dishes, then setting the dish rag on the counter to dry without rinsing or cleaning it? The next time you have to do dishes, you use the same rag. Then something spills on the floor. You wipe up the spill but don't rinse the rag. After a while, you would realize the rag was rank, and you'd clean it.

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That's what the liver is like. It's the big dish rag of the body. It cleans the body, the blood, and the toxins out of the system. A dirty liver allows those toxins to build up, which doesn't allow the body to work properly. We wouldn't consider washing dishes with an old, stinky dish rag, but we don't have any problem overusing our liver.

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One of the jobs of the liver is to produce bile, an emulsifier of fat. Today's "fat free" diets are a misconception. The liver requires fat to produce energy. That's what it uses for fuel, but it has to be good oil, such as cold-pressed or expeller-processed oil. If the liver has a good supply of good oil, it functions properly. If it doesn't, it turns proteins and carbohydrates into fat so it can fuel itself. Unfortunately, by the time it gets enough fat to fuel itself, the arteries are plugged up with stuff we don't need.

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We need good quality oil in our diets. I'm not saying you should eat a lot of it because oil provides 9 calories per gram. It's a highly concentrated food. The liver will clean and detoxify the body, but the body can't be any cleaner than the liver itself.

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It's important to give the body what it needs to have a healthy liver. One of the things we discovered is that if you cleanse the body, you also clear up the skin. Many Oriental medicine practitioners believe eye problems are the result of a liver problem. After many years of observation, I have found that to be true. In our clinic, if we find any form of eye problem, we clean the liver, and the eye problem is always significantly improved. Colon problems, constipation, diarrhea, and digestive disorders are also improved by cleaning the liver.

From My Own Practice​​

When I think the liver is involved, Liv Clean is the first formula I reach for. Whether I'm supporting healthy liver function directly or addressing concerns where the liver may be playing a role, this is often my starting point.

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One of the things I have learned over the years is that the liver has a much broader influence on the body than most people realize. Sometimes the liver itself is the concern. Other times, it is simply one piece of a much larger picture. Because it performs so many important jobs, supporting the liver can have far-reaching effects throughout the body.

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I also use Liv Clean frequently for digestive complaints. The liver plays an important role in digestion, particularly in processing fats and helping the body utilize the foods we eat. When digestion isn't working as well as it should, I often consider whether the liver deserves attention as part of the overall plan.

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Another combination I use often is Liv Clean with Hy Sugar. While each formula has a different purpose, I have found they complement one another very well when I am supporting healthy metabolic function. Rather than looking at a single organ or body system in isolation, I prefer to support the systems that work together.

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I also pair Liv Clean with I Brite when I believe liver support may complement my overall approach. Over the years, I have also included it when certain types of abdominal discomfort suggest the liver may be involved. It is not always the only formula I use, but it is very often one of the foundational formulas that I build around.

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One of the reasons I appreciate Liv Clean so much is that it reminds us to think beyond the obvious symptom. The liver quietly serves the body every minute of every day. When it is well supported, many other systems are able to function more efficiently as well. That is why this formula continues to be one of the cornerstones of my herbal recommendations.